Third Toning Session and Third Cooking Lesson

Creamy Chicken Graten

Salad and Homemade Vinegar Based Dressing

Pineapple-Apple Jam

I just bought 5 new hairbands (90 cents each) at the street stand near subway staion-(this type of hairbands-2 hairbands in one- became very popular after one of Girl's Generation - AKA SoNyoShiDae -  started wearing it)

Just sitting around reading missy-don't feel like going out tonight

After My Third Toning Session

Before My Last Toning Session

Today is my last toning session, it's shame because I really enjoyed my toning sessions, with all the different facials.  I still have 1 IPL treatment to go and that's all the skin treatment that I'm going to get for now.  I wish I can stay here longer to finish getting IPL (You need to get 3 IPL sessions over 2-3 month period to get full benefits), but since school will start soon next week, I'll have to go back to the US.  After the facials, I had my third cooking lesson.  We made chicken graten, salad, pineapple and apple jam, and iced sweet potato tea. Everything was great.  Since Taipoon is supposedly hit Korea tomorrow, I'm thinking about going to Jjimjilbang (Korean sauna).

Namsangol Traditional Korean Village

Farmer's Band

The Modernized Korean Traditional Beat

Closer Shot

Folk Dance

Samulnori

Cheonugak





At the Gate of the Seoul Thousand Year Time Capsule

Shot of one of the House

Beautiful Trea

Tearoom

Resting at the Gate

JangDok-Clay Pot

The Bedroom

The Study??

Inside the House

Empress Yun's Parent's House

The entrance to Hanoak Maeul

Theater in Choongmuro-This area is known for movies since it has annual movie awards, etc

I went to Namsangol Traditional Korean Village today.  The houses are not as fancy as the ones at the palace, nevertheless these homes were beautiful.  They were either moved from the original sites or the exact replica of the original house.  At night, there were different events, such as korean traditional dance, samulnori, etc.

Hot and Humid Day at the DMZ and 3rd Tunnel

Converse Store

Myongdong Gyoza (It is one of the oldest and famous restaurant in Myongdong; it's known for mandu and kalguksu)

Kalguksu at Myondong

Lunch after the tour to the DMZ

The South Korean Aid Truck to North Korea

The Freedom Bell

The train that was found near DMZ ( it was covered by bullet holes, and only the one part of train was found since all other was taken by North Koreans to use it as metal scraps during the Korean War

The Peace Stone

Inside train station





Dora Observation Platform

The Freedom Bridge

Friday was extremely hot and humid day in Seoul.  It was supposed to rain all day, but the rain stopped in the morning.  Friday was DMZ tour day and the tour took about 7 hours.  The tour bus came to pick me up in the morning and it took about an hour to get to Imjingak (near DMZ).  From Imjingak, we rod DMZ tour bus that was operated by DMZ area.  When we arrieved at Imjingak, there were dozen trucks that were carrying tons of bags of flour.  Some areas of North Korea was flooded, so South Korean charity organizations were delivering truck load of flour to the North Korea.  We first went to the Freedom Bridge area, and went to an area where you can see the DMZ fences and North Korean military post. Photography was not allowed at many areas.   Although, it was raining in the morning, when we got there, the weather started clearing up, so we were able to see North Korean villages and Gaesung factory town where South Korean companies built factories for goods.  After that, we went to walk down the tunnel that was digged by North Koreans in the 70s.  There are 4 official tunnels that were digged by the North Koreans for Invasions.  After the tour, I went to Myongdong to have dinner.  On Saturday night, I went to my brother's house for dinner.  I planned to spend the night at his house, but decided to come back to the hotel.  My sister in law made lots of homemade sidedishes, and beef vegetable souop and chicken potatoes stews.  Everything was great.  My brother looked healthy and upbeat.  His son will be coming to the US to study in NY state.  He was born in the US, so my brother want him to study in the US for him to have better chance to go to good university.  He will be attending a private high school in NY state and will be staying with hosting families.

Kyungbok Palace and My Second Cooking Lesson

He is squeezing tofu

Steamed Mandoo

My First Mandoo

Tonight's Dinner-Mandoo Soup, Cucumber Soup, and Dongrangddeng

Roof Shot

One of the Palace Residence

Aninmal statue on the one of the palace residence

At the Pavillion

Another Shot of the Pavillion

Kyunghoe-Ru Pavillion

The Hyangwon Jeong

More Statues II

More Animal Statues III

The King's Chair inside the Palace

The End of Royal Changing Guard Ceremony

The Queen's Dress

The vehicle of Empress Sunjeong

King's Ride

National Folk Museum of Korea

The Roof

The Vehicle of Emperor Sunjeong

Today, I decided to go to KyungBok Palace.  It is the biggest palace in Seoul.  I'm always amazed by the size and the beauty of the palaces whenever I go to Korean palaces.  When I got out of the subway station, there were Korean National Palace Museum, so I decided to look around there before I go to Kyungbok Gung.  They had many artifacts and ceramic vases, etc like the one I saw at the Korean National Museum.  After touring the museum, I started walking toward the Palace, and I just found out that I just missed Royal Guard Changing Ceremony, so I might have to go there again to just watch the ceremony.  This Palace was destroyed during the Japanese invasions during 14th Century, but was rebuilt in 19th Century by King Kojong.  After touring the Palace, I went to my cooking class.  Today's menu was Mandu, cold cucumber salad and sugar cookies.  This was the first time I ever made mandu.  We made steamed mandu and mandu soup.  It was very tasty.